Values-based leadership – Jeffrey Orr, Power Corporation

11/06/23 • 35 min

Jeffrey Orr has a simple message for business students: live your values. “I think people have the impression that there's a different set of ethics and values that apply in business than apply in their personal lives,” he says. “That’s not the case.”

The CEO of Power Corporation says in his experience, successful leaders turn to personal values and instincts when faced with tough business decisions.

In a wide-ranging conversation with Goldy Hyder on the Speaking of Business podcast, Orr discusses lessons he has learned as a business leader. Key to his philosophy is that consistent approach in his personal and professional lives. It’s an idea he’s eager to pass along to others, gently mentoring the next generation of leaders.

“Mentoring is not about doing, mentoring is about letting other people do and then coaching, guiding and sharing your own personal lessons,” he says.

Listen to the entire conversation with Goldy Hyder on the Speaking of Business podcast.

Revealing and insightful conversations with Canada’s top innovators, entrepreneurs and business leaders. Listen to more episodes here: thebusinesscouncil.ca

The CEO of Power Corporation says in his experience, successful leaders turn to personal values and instincts when faced with tough business decisions.

“Mentoring is not about doing, mentoring is about letting other people do and then coaching, guiding and sharing your own personal lessons,” he says.

Listen to the entire conversation with Goldy Hyder on the Speaking of Business podcast.

Revealing and insightful conversations with Canada’s top innovators, entrepreneurs and business leaders. Listen to more episodes here: thebusinesscouncil.ca

Previous Episode

Business as a force for good – Iggy Domagalski, Wajax

Iggy Domagalski is a big believer in having fun at work. “Work can be enjoyable,” he says. “When people know that they can have a bit of fun and that they can take five minutes to spend some fun time with their peers, I think that sends them back to their desk smiling.”

Domagalski is the President and CEO of Wajax, a Canadian industrial products and service company. With 3000 employees working in 120 branches across the country, a strong corporate culture that embraces positivity is a big priority for him. That’s why you might run into a foosball table or an impromptu basketball game at a Wajax office.

“You spend more than half your waking life with your teammates at work,” he says. “Why can't that be enjoyable?”

Domaglaski believes happiness and fulfillment at work can permeate into the larger community. “Business can be a real power for good.”

In a wide-ranging conversation with Goldy Hyder on the Speaking of Business podcast, Domagalski discusses his approach to leadership, how he embraced entrepreneurship at an early age, the importance of mentors and why Wajax is dedicated charitable giving.

Revealing conversations with influential innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders. Listen to more episodes here: thebusinesscouncil.ca/podcasts/

Next Episode

Leading the way in nuclear energy: Mike Rencheck, Bruce Power

It was a summer job that sparked Mike Rencheck’s lifelong career in the energy industry. He started out as an intern at the Beaver Valley Power Station in Pennsylvania in the 1980’s, and never looked back. “It really opened my eyes to what was possible in nuclear energy,” he says.

Skip ahead a few decades and Rencheck is now the President and CEO of Bruce Power. The nuclear plant on the shores of Lake Huron produces 30 per cent of Ontario's electricity – that’s half of all the province’s nuclear power.

Rencheck recognizes the important role nuclear will play as Canada transitions to lower emissions energy sources. “We really need to progress forward if we're going to have a clean energy transition and have abundant energy that's reliable, clean, and affordable,” he tells Goldy Hyder on the Speaking of Business podcast. It’s why Bruce Power is looking at adding more production capacity at its site – an additional 4,800 megawatts of electricity (Bruce Power currently produces 6,550 megawatts).

And Bruce Power doesn’t stop there. The company is, in Rencheck’s words, a “superpower” in the production of medical isotopes. The life-saving products are used to sterilize medical equipment worldwide and to treat some forms of cancer.

In a wide-ranging conversation, Mike Rencheck and Goldy Hyder also discuss Indigenous reconciliation, the value of asking questions, and how to unleash Canada’s “get ‘er done” mentality.

“We have great people in Canada. We have great people here at Bruce Power. And when we choose to work together, we simply get things done.”

Revealing conversations with influential innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders. Listen to more episodes here: thebusinesscouncil.ca/podcasts/